• The Erase method levels the depth layer. If you've created texture strokes that you don't like, you can use this setting to remove them.

Erase applies only to depth, not to color. With the Depth and Color drawing method, the Erase method removes depth while applying color.

The amount of depth removed depends on the value of the Depth slider. If you want to remove the entire Impasto stroke, set Depth to 0.

• The Paper method uses the current paper method to control depth. You can choose different papers and change their scale by using the Paper Selector in the toolbox. Refer to "Inverting and Scaling Paper Textures" on page 119 for more information.

• Original Luminance uses a clone source's luminance to control depth. Refer to "Using Clone Source Luminance to Create Texture" on page 298 for more information.

• Weaving Luminance controls depth using the current Weave. You can choose different weaves by using the Weaves Selector in the toolbox.

Inverting a Depth Method

You can invert the depth method by using the Invert option. When a method is inverted, the negative of the source is used in the stroke. For example, using the Invert option with Weave luminance switches the luminance values of the current weave so that light areas of the weave become dark and vice versa. This change results in an inverted texture within the Impasto brush strokes.

Controlling the Depth Interaction of a Medium

When you use a depth method, you paint with a new medium that has texture and builds up depth as you layer brush strokes.

The Impasto sliders in the Brush Creator let you set how much depth is applied with a stroke, the amount of texture applied within a stroke, and how each stroke interacts with other Impasto brush strokes.

6 Adjust the Smoothing slider to set the transitions in the texture. Higher Smoothing values produce less textured strokes.

7 Adjust the Plow slider to control how much a depth stroke displaces other strokes that it intersects.

Varying Input to Control Depth

In addition to the Impasto controls, you can also use the Depth slider in the Brush Creator to add more complexity to your strokes. The Depth slider can alter the flow of depth as you paint. Using one of the nine input controllers, you can control the flow of depth based on pressure, velocity, or bearing. Refer to "Impasto Controls" on page 241 for complete descriptions of controllers.

To use the Depth brush feature

1 On the Stroke Designer page of the Brush Creator, click Impasto.

2 Choose Depth from the Draw To pop-up menu.

3 Choose a depth method from the Depth Method pop-up menu.

4 Adjust the Depth slider, and choose an expression from the Expression pop-up

For a realistic effect, try varying Depth inversely with Pressure. Set the Expression pop-up menu to Pressure, and enable the Invert option. This lets you apply paint more thickly when you press lightly, but more thinly when you press firmly, just as if you were using real paint.

Blending Impasto with Other Layers

You can control how Corel Painter blends Impasto brush strokes with images on other layers by selecting a composite depth method on the Layers palette.

The Composite Depth menu provides the following methods for combining Impasto brush strokes:

• The Add method combines depth information between layers. Brush strokes on different layers build up where they overlap.

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If the composite depth method is set to Add and you paint with an Impasto brush variant on a layer, the composite depth setting does not change.

An example ofthe Add composite depth method.

• The Subtract method removes depth information between layers. Impasto brush strokes on top layers create grooves in the image data beneath them. If the composite depth method is set to Subtract and you paint with an Impasto brush variant on a layer, the composite depth method does not change.

An example ofthe Subtract composite depth method.

• The Replace method uses layer masks to replace the depth information from lower layers with information from top layers. Wherever strokes overlap, only the top strokes are visible; the lower strokes are completely covered. If the composite depth method is set to Replace and you paint with an Impasto brush variant on a layer, the composite depth method does not change.

An example ofthe Replace composite depth method.

• The Ignore method prevents impasto brush strokes from interacting with image data on different layers. With the Ignore method active, the display of depth for the layer is turned off, even when the View Depth icon on the document window is active. This makes it possible to disable display of depth for individual layers. If the composite depth method is set to Ignore and you paint with an Impasto brush variant on a layer, the method changes back to Add. Ignore is the default composite depth method.

You can set a different composite depth method for every layer in a document. Refer to "Blending Layers by Using Composite Methods" on page 71 for more information.